Jacquelyn's Space

Push some people’s buttons, LOL! I am so mean and rotten. My sister-in-law (has issues, to put it nicely) was pissed at me because she agreed to throw our niece a baby shower and roped me into having the shower at my house — she really put me on the spot, I might add, and at my own graduation party!

I agreed to host the shower because I thought it might be fun and I wanted to do something nice for the daughter of a sister-in-law who has really helped me and my family out. Well little did I know what I was getting in to with the sister-in-law with whom I am planning the shower. First she got pissed because she thinks our niece is ungrateful and is treating her horribly. Truth be told, I don’t know why she expected otherwise because the girl is always ungrateful (she really is immature and spoiled) and does not know how to treat people.

Then my sister-in-law got pissed at me because I refused to let my niece’s behavior bother me (at least bend me out of shape — I’ve been down that road before and it got me nowhere); I also refused to let my niece’s behavior change what I agreed to do as far as the shower is concerned so my sister-in-law is not happy with me at all — she wanted to drop out of it all together and I think wanted me to also; I feel that would just be rotten at this point. Why the hell did she even want to throw a shower for the girl when she knows very well what the girl is like and that her (and my) efforts more than likely will not be appreciated? I don’t know what she was thinking (she says she was thinking about the baby but she should have just bought a nice gift for the baby and called it good). I am just trying to live up to my word and throw a nice shower with as little expense and drama as possible…I guess I am about to be punished for my optimism.

Already my sister-in-law is pissed at me (for no good reason in my opinion). Well, yesterday I went over there to drop off the invitations I printed so she could mail them out. She wanted to mail them out (control issues I think) so that was fine by me. I took my Dad with me over there so I wouldn’t have to talk to this woman about how unhappy she is over my niece, the shower, and my positive attitude — I had been on the phone with her numerous times the week before, and for hours, going round and round the same issues. I keep telling her I just want to get the invites out and then we can hash the rest out after my stepson’s graduation open house (and my nephews too) — those events actually come first and there is 3 weeks between the open houses and the shower…plenty of time to get everything else together since we have it all planned, we just need to buy stuff. My sister-in-law, through all her complaining seems to want to make the shower the center of her world now. Grrr. I do not…I am not about to put this shower before my own stepson’s open house! But I went to my sister-in-law’s house to take care of the invitations. She was talking to me and my Dad about how tore up her house is and how she likes to do projects but lacks the time and money…and that her husband (my husband’s brother) is not handy at all. Well, silly me, before I could really think about how it might piss off my sister-in-law, said, “I guess I got the handy brother…my husband just built a little barn all on his own.” I am so horrible…I had to brag on my husband though…he works so hard and I am very proud of him. I know my sister-in-law hated me in that moment, ha, but it wasn’t an intentional dig…I just like to give my husband the credit he deserves and I really can’t help it that some people are so determined to be unhappy. Oh well, I am sure my sister-in-law will get over it eventually.

I wish a happy day for my Dad, my husband and my brother. So much damn drama in their lives at times and it saddens me that these father’s aren’t appreciated as they should be. I guess that is part of being a father — lots of work for not a lot of recognition or appreciation. Father’s and men should not be valued only for their earning potential!

Happy Father’s Day to all dads 🙂

About this time five years ago my reception was winding down — maybe about an hour left to go…didn’t want to see it end but my husband and I had a lovely night after our reception, which included drinking wine and beer with friends on the porch of Cromaine Lodge, Waldenwoods. I want to do that again someday.

Tonight I set us up with romantic candlelit dinner in honor of our anniversary. We had steak, baked potatoes, imported cheeses and a sweet wine. I set out mementos from our wedding — silk flowers I used to represent his parents at the ceremony, a crystal version of our wedding invite, our napkins — and our initialed champagne flutes. I lit my favorite candles — Grand Hotel geranium scented ones — and it all made for a gorgeous evening. The neighbors were even lighting fireworks. My husband and I went out on our patio and sat admiring the stars. Now on to more fun 😉

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Today is me and my wonderful husband’s fifth anniversary. I wish he could stay home from work today…ha, it is the anniversary of wood. My husband says we got that covered, hee hee.

I can’t believe it has been 5 years since our lovely wedding. It really was a great day and I wish I could do it all over again. I remember, 5 years ago today I didn’t really go to sleep until about 6am — the sun was just beginning to rise over Lake Walden.

Married 5 years…not a very long time but we have been together for 13 years. I look back over the years and see all my husband and I have been through together — the ups and the downs; I think about what might have happened if I hadn’t met him — he has been so good to me and for me (he really is the sweetest man and I am extremely fortunate); but I mostly think about all the fun times we have had — talking (and other fun activities, lol), our walks and hikes, playing games (pool, Monopoly, on the Wii), and traveling, of course traveling (Up North, Cedar Point, North Carolina, Chicago, Disney and the Bahamas, and my favorite, Mackinac Island). If only we could shut out all the rest of the drama and people’s BS and stay in our protective bubble… I suppose life would be pretty boring but we have so much fun together, just the two of us that I think we’d be alright. I really wish we could just hop in the car and travel around Lake Michigan. Maybe someday…

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Aww! This just made me cry –it is my husband’s facebook status today:

It was five years ago today I married the most wonderful and beautiful person I know. Happy Anniversary to my totally awesome wife, Jackie!!! I love you!

Oh yes I do, I just find myself saying that often — “I don’t understand people” or “What is wrong with people” — grrr. I do understand people and I understand what motivates them and I find people’s desires and/or ego get in the way of doing what is best for them, or doing the right thing too  much these days. Sadly, there is a prevalence of the “It’s all about me” attitude, not to mention impulsiveness these days.
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What I don’t understand is why people don’t use sense more… you know, use the brain God gave them. I was going to say ‘their sense’ but I suppose a lot of people do not have any sense, don’t really value logic, and are too lazy to use their brain. Well I suppose this all goes toward impulsiveness too but for years (since I worked in retail in the late 90s, really) I have noticed that people are really freaking lazy, especially about thinking and figuring things out, and would rather have someone else do even their brain-work for them on even those most basic of tasks. It is really tragic and I think this is what has led to too many of our social problems, the poor economy being one aspect. Too many of us are more than happy to be led down a treacherous path without really thinking about the consequences of our desires…all because we would rather not put our brain to use or haven’t developed the capacity. It is easier to let someone, or even ourselves, feed us what we want to hear (feed our egos), like: “You deserve it” or “You can do it” or “You should have it” or “You are the best” to “You are always right”…positive bullshit that blinds and inhibits the use of sense and logic. I suppose it is painful to think about practicalities, about negative aspects of anything so just keep your rose-colored glasses on, put your brain on neutral, and sit back and enjoy the ride…

or should I say, enjoy the crashing and burning?

and taking others down with you…

its like drunk driving…its all about me me me, pleasure,and having no sense at all.

Ha! I was looking through the stationary and stuff I had stashed away in a closet … looking for some envelopes to use to with self-printed invitations for a baby shower. I found the envelopes I was looking for bu also napkins from me and my husbands wedding — I forgot I packed those away. It was so lovely to see them again, and so close to our anniversary. Now we can use them on our special day 🙂

I just love it when I find stuff I forgot about. It is like I gave myself a gift.

Oh, and the baby shower is for my niece, not me.